The Ongoing Pursuit of Happiness

Last time I listed 7 of the many things Scripture recommends for anyone searching 

for happiness. Yet has just reading the list made us happier? Doubtful so let's take 
a closer look at them.

Salvation and Fear, the first two, are inseparable. We won't realize our need for 

Jesus without some fear or reverence for God. As fear of Him grows, so does our appreciation for being a member of His family. 

Remember the first years as a Christian when we couldn't help but talk about 
Jesus? Just the mention of His name made us smile.The following verse explains 
how to get that back: "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him that glory 
may dwell in our land" (Psalm 85:9). 

When we keep our position as God's child up close and personal, an underlying 
happiness grows. And as we express our thankfulness and joy over being saved 

we'll bring God glory. 

On the other hand, some of us act like John 3:16 is less important than last week's 
weather report. Our outlook tells everyone we need so much more than Jesus to 
be happy. We often sound like Mrs. Popham in Summer Magic, who said, "I always 

expect the worst and I ain't ever been disappointed." Maybe we've lost sight of our 

redemption and the friendship Jesus wants to share.   

The third principle leading to happiness is learning to do His Word. Sounds like a monumental request and only becomes possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. As

an example, I just randomly opened the Bible and read, 

       "That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment 
       of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus," (Philemon 6)  

Sounds like to do that verse means we count our blessings and give God the 

credit for them. Then others may see our peace and joy in the Lord and be drawn 

into His family as well. Could anything make us happier than helping change 

someone's eternal destination? 

These are just a few more words for thought on a subject one could study for 
years. Next time we'll continue looking at the 7 principles leading to happiness. 
If you have any thoughts to add, I'd be glad to hear from you.

7 Secrets to Being Happy

"I just want my children to be happy." 

Every parent I've talked to has said similar words. We all want our sons 

and daughters to pursue careers and relationships that will bring them 
happiness. Though it's one of our main hopes for our children, our own experience has shown us how illusive it can be. 

America was built on the truth of all people created equal and each 
holding the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Yet 
few of us can list the ingredients for a truly happy life. On our own 
we stumble through a series of trial and error at best.

Since God's first garden, mankind has been in pursuit of self-fulfillment 
and often missing it altogether. Like Adam and Eve, we tend to look in 
the wrong places. It's no secret only 5% of people with college degrees 
work in a related occupation. More than half of all marriages end in 
divorce. And wealthy people are often among the most miserable. 
Sounds like the world doesn't know much about happiness. 

Isn't it time we admit our need for God's Word on the subject? He made 
us and knows better than anyone what will make us and our children 
happy. Here's a quick list to consider. 

1. Accept Jesus as your Lord (Psalm 144:15)

2. Fear God no matter what (Proverbs 28:14)

3. Do His Word, don't just read or listen to it (John 13:17)

4. Work for the things you need and want (Psalm 128:2)

5. Share with people who have less than you (Proverbs 14:21)

6. Hope in the Lord, not another person or yourself (Psalm 146:5)

7. Keep seeking and finding God's Wisdom (Proverbs 3:13)

These aren't secrets, you may be thinking, and they don't sound like the 

Rx for happiness either. It's true, just knowing them doesn't make us 
happy. But doing them does and that's the well-kept secret. 

Check out the verses for each one listed above (NKJV). And check back 
here in a week or so. We'll be looking at ways to translate these truths from God's Word into true happiness we can share with the people we love, especially our children and grandchildren. Sometimes just living it ourselves is the best way to show them it's real. 

   

How to Get Things Done

When my granddaughter's third grade class had swimming lessons I was 
the only one in the family available to go watch. It's not that she needed 
a fan but her mother and I felt better knowing someone who loved Tori 
could help keep an eye on her. Of course, I can't swim and detest the 
smell of chlorine but I qualify as someone who loves her so I agreed to 
sit in the bleachers during each lesson. 

On the last day, all three third grade classes showed up at the same time 
for a party. A free-for-all celebration with two nonchalant life guards 
and 75 third graders. Kids everywhere were  splashing, yelling, jumping, laughing, tossing beach balls, dunking their friends and occasionally, swimming. Who in their right mind would authorize such chaos?  

As Tori climbed into the pool I called her name. She couldn't hear me. I 
walked over to tell her something but overwhelming noise kept her from
hearing me. So I sat nearby and watched. Some kids were driving into 
the deep water, others dog-paddling across the pool. Thankfully Tori still 
chose the comfort of the 3 to 4 foot end.   

How can anyone keep track of all these kids? I wondered. Then it hit me.
I only had to keep an eye on Tori. My assignment: Watch one child for one hour. Other people had their eyes on special children too. After clarifying 
my job description, the confusion and noise took a backseat while I 
focused my attention on one 8-year-old girl.     

Years later that experience still reminds me of the power of focusing on 
one thing. Multitasking makes me dizzy and I end up with too many 
half-baked projects. As a writer I've found singleness of purpose is the
best way to get something done. Check out the book of Nehemiah if 
you want to see how he helped Jerusalem finish a long procrastinated project in record time. 

Sometimes the Lord invites us to do a difficult project. Looking at the 
big picture, it may seem impossible, like supervising a pool full of third 
graders. Where do we start? 

God doesn't like confusion anymore than we do, so He will show us the 
first step. I've discovered step two only becomes clear after we do the 
first thing. I like the way God works. As we learn to work with Him, we'll 
find ourselves getting more done.